Unable to be discouraged, Mamen Peris (Alboraia, 1967) does not lose faith in refloating Ciudadanos at 28M. He’s full of optimism in the face of the poll and claims to enjoy the campaign, but admits he wanted a little more time to put his project together.
How do you face 28M?
I have great enthusiasm. There is so much presence in every act I go to and I find that it is contagious. It’s true that there are indecisives, again these are the people to get excited about and that’s our job. I really live as if enchanted. There is a project, there is a team, and we perceive it more intensely every day.
If you have the capacity to manage or make decisions, what would be your first action?
Remove Inheritance Tax. We can’t eliminate it because it belongs to the state, but we will subsidize 99.9% of the tax. No Valencian, Alicante or Castellón will pay to inherit. I’ll do this in the first week, it’ll be right away.
Is taxation the priority of Ciudadanos then?
No, it’s one of the parts. We need to work on taxation, social aspects, housing… But this is one of the measures we can implement immediately. Just as, for example, we must take measures in the regional revenue division as soon as they come into effect before 1 January 2024. We will also review all regional deductions to include spending that primarily affects families. We will try to help this stuck middle class. Another thing to be done in the first 100 days will be the inspection of the missing and remaining ones in the Administration. Twelve ministries are unsustainable and there will be seven if I am determined.
She is the only female president on the list. Does this mean anything real?
It shows what left-wing feminism is all about. I remember Podemos even trying to force the first two to be women when Election Act reform was proposed. Well, it was a woman after all. Ciudadanos did indeed break the glass ceiling in front of five men.
The polls are not very positive for his party. Do you have the feeling of being in the best place at the worst time?
Unfortunately, polls are now a weapon of choice. They’ve become weapons of choice, they’ve been cooked somehow. Finally they have a payer…
If they turn out well, it won’t be said.
I always say I don’t trust any survey, even when it’s going well. I don’t care about them right now. What I see in the survey results does not suit me. You should see the fine print. What I see on the street does not match what these surveys are trying to convey. There are those who will try to dissuade us until the last moment, but this will not happen. I think we can easily pass 5%.
If this happens and they break into Cortes, will they support PP to block Vox’s entry?
Agreements will be different now, we support neither PP nor PSOE. As a good liberal, I would sit down and talk to everybody, but we shouldn’t talk about supporting one or supporting the other. We will support proposals that are important and necessary for our current stage in the Valencian Community. I don’t need to be vice president of any government, deals are about proposals. I don’t want my community to be oppressed by extremism. We have to change the paradigm.
Don’t you worry that the far-right is entering Consell?
We are concerned about the entry of both the far right and the far left. The extremists in Europe are being tried to be cornered because these are policies that should not exist today and are taking us backwards. A PP-Vox deal would be a setback to the rights and freedoms in this community, we will always stop that. Vox is backwards for us. But we also saw the populism and extremism of Podemos and the sectarian nationalism of Compromís. We could just sit with PP and PSPV to lead, I think what would be good for this community, we would focus on politics.
If cs doesn’t reach 5%, will the will continue or will it reduce the blindness?
This is never. The biggest mistake UCD and CDS made was going home. This will not happen in the new Ciudadanos. We will show ourselves in the general elections. It is not possible for me to pass the 5% threshold, we have presented lists in 83 municipalities and I know that we will be decisive in many of them and we will have a municipal administration. We’ve had hyper-leaders that raise us like Sputnik but then bring us down. Now it is done from the grassroots and ballot boxes will be set up for general elections.
What does Toni Cantó’s name tell you?
Past, setback and chameleon.
Regression, in what sense?
Because he used and trashed the Valencians and that was not done. It is to give priority to this chair in politics.
What about Ruth Merino?
Ruth was a union member of this party, her voice was hoarse, and she would know if she could sleep peacefully. Of course I sleep very calmly, principles cannot be bought and sold. I don’t understand how a person wakes up in orange and goes to bed in blue, I will never understand.
Which of the members of his party was not expected to leave?
If I had gone to the notary, I think I would have handled it all. All. No doubt. People get old, and those who enter politics because of their profession, devotion or a very special interest are already snooping. There are people who have to beg for a small load every four years. I realize that I have a very privileged position and the great freedom of not needing politics to live, and it gives so precious independence and freedom.
What plans do you have for state television?
Efficiency and effectiveness. That television has two major faults, legislative bicephaly and employment status. It is good to have a public television, but according to the criteria of effectiveness and efficiency, it should belong to all Valencians, without imposing ideologies, free from sectarianism.
And do language immersion programs repeal them?
If this leads us to sectarianism or to losing our freedom of choice, I have no doubt. My hand was not shaking. Freedom of education is very important. I don’t like poorly executed immersion as Compromís takes this to the extreme. If language is imposed it loses its existence, it must be taught with love.
Does the campaign impose a state key or a Valencia key?
Each will have their own interest. I will defend the Valencia agenda, but not in the way they do. There is no awareness to carry the Valencia agenda to Madrid here.
Wouldn’t it be an exaggeration to say that if Botànic wins, the invaders win?
If Botànic wins, the occupants will even have a second home. I think Puig’s biggest mistake was giving Housing to Podemos. I told him with all my love that he was divorcing these gentlemen who were a burden to the house. I don’t want us to end up like Venezuela. Limiting rental prices has been proven wrong. You are putting housing on the market without limiting prices, but reassuring the owner.
Carlos Mazón said recently that he was in talks with Inés Arrimadas for a pre-election agreement. Do you know? Has he spoken to you before?
I don’t know. And actually, I sent an e-mail to Mr. Mazón and the other leaders to meet with them. He is the only person who shows no signs of life and has government deals or relations with Ciudadanos. Seems pretty irresponsible to me.
Entrusted to silent voters
According to Peris, one of the factors that keeps the optimism alive in C’s is the activity they perceive in their soles. He assures that they had no problems filling out their actions and that “no one fell” out of a hundred participants, but this was not reflected in the polls, because voter C was “a person who works from sunrise to sunset.” it interferes very little and does not say who to vote for. We will see that voter profile at 28M,” he said.